Localized areas of heavy snowfall have occurred during the past several days. Some places have received in excess of two feet of new snow. In steep terrain soft slab avalanches and loose snow sluffs are sensitive to human triggers. These loose snow sluffs and soft slab avalanches are especially dangerous in cliff areas and above terrain traps. Cautious route selection and conservative terrain decisions are warranted at the mid and upper elevations. Normal caution is advised at the lower elevations.
At the mid and upper elevations soft slab avalanches could be human triggered on a variety of aspects. These slabs are expected to be up two feet deep and sensitive to the weight of a single person.
Loose snow sluffs could be human triggered in very steep terrain at all elevations. These sluffs could entrain significant volumes of loose snow and run long distances on steep sustained slopes.
A clearing trend is to occur through Thursday. Morning valley fog is possible in the Jackson Hole and Star valleys. Temperatures will remain on the cold side with highs in the single digits expected at higher elevations. West to Northwest winds are to have averages between ten and fifteen miles per hour. The general avalanche hazard will be Moderate in all forecast areas above 8000 feet and Low below that elevation. Wind slabs can still be triggered on a variety of aspects with depths up to two feet. Weak snow layers lie at the base of the snowpack on northerly aspects above 9000 feet. This weak layer is not considered a current threat in Tetons, however the possibility of full depth avalanches warrants consideration in the Southwest Trails area where its chance of occurrence is limited to isolated areas and in the Togwotee pass where such activity is more likely given the shallower snowpack.
